Fruit-package and method of packing fruits for shipment.



Patented Nov. 28, I899. A. MVAUGUSTINE. FRUIT PACKAGE AND METHOD OFPACKING FRUITS FOB SHIPMENT.

(Application filed Mar. 2,- 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES ARCHIE M. AUGUSTINE,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NORMAL, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-PACKAGE AND METHOD OF PACKING FRUITS FOR SHIPMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,844, dated November28, 1899.

Application filed March 2, 1899. b'erial 71 (No m T0 at whom, it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIE M. AUGUSTINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Normal, in the county of McLean, State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Packages andMethods of Packing Fruits for Shipment; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isan end view of a six-box crate embodying my invention, the end of thecrate removed to show the arrangement of the tiers of separate orindividual packages. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the sameon the line 2 2, Fig 1. In these two views the crate is shown invertedor in the position it occupies when the packing of the fruit isfinished. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the boxes, baskets, orindividual receptacles. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the basket or box,showing the cleats for retaining the bottom in place. Fig. 5 isatransverse sectional view of the box, basket, or receptacle, taken onthe line 5 5, Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is adetached view of one of the partitionswhich is inserted between the tiers of packages of the crate. Fig. 7 isa sectional view of a barrel or like receptacle and cover or closureembodying my invention as applied to an individual package shippedsingly. Fig. Sis asectional perspective view of the cover or closureshown in section in Fig. '7.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

Myinvention relates to the method of packing fruits for transportationand marketing and to the receptacles therefor, and has for its object tosecure and maintain in the individual package, whether crated or singlypacked, that facing or uniformity in the exposed surface of the packagewhich prevents injury to the fruit in transportation and aids in thesubsequent marketing thereof.

By careful selection and sizing individual packages of fruit have at thecost of much time and labor been heretofore faced and the cover of thepackage subsequently applied; but in such cases the facing isnecessarily below the top or rim of the package when displayed for sale,which detracts from the appearance of the package, and, furthermore,facing of the fruit cannot be effected in crated fruits unless eachpackage be provided with a separate cover, which is objectionable bothfrom the standpoint of cost and liability of injury to the fruit intransportation. In addition to all this the facing of the individualpackage is liable to be disarranged or destroyed by the settling of thecontents of the package incident to the rough handling in transportationto market. To overcome these several objections and to obtain andmaintain a facing of the fruit in the package, Whether packedindividually or in crates, I pack the fruit in reverse or through thebottom of the package or packages, the bottom being finally applied andsecured, and said method embodies the main feature of my invention.

In carrying out my invention I employ a cover, or in case of crating aninterposed facing-strip, which rests upon and projects beyond the rim ofthe passage, so that the facing of fruit projects somewhat above theriin of the package when the individual cover is removed or thereceptacle removed from the crate, and such feature embodies a secondaryfeature of my invention.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that othersskilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the individual package or fruit-receptacle,any number of which may be crated in tiers, as indicated in Figs. 1 and2 of the drawings. When shipped as individual packages, (see Figs. 7 and8,) a cover A, adapted to rest upon and project above the rim of thepackage, will be provided, together with means for securing the saidcover to the package. When, however, the individual packages are to becrated, usually in tiers, an interposed facing-strip a, (see Figs. 1 and2,) extending the length of the crate, adapted to rest upon and projectbeyond the rims of the individual packages, the equivalent in multipleof the raised cover, will be provided, and said facingstrip is common toall the receptacles of the tier in which it is located, and in eithercase, as will hereinafter appear,the contained fruit will be faced andproject, preferably, from one-half to three-quarters of an inch abovethe rim of the package or receptacle when the same is uncovered fordisplay or sale.

For crating the individual package will preferably be a boX (or a basketsuch as employed for shipping grapes) having the shell serted.

In packing the fruit the bottomless shell is used, the same beinginverted, the cover A (or facing-strip a) being in place, and the bottomis subsequently inserted, to accomplish which a set of cleats 4 (seeFigs. 4 and 5) are usually employed, which are applied and secured tothe basket after the fruit has been packed in the receptacle.

The method of packing the fruit for transportation is as follows: Incase of a single receptacle, such as shown in Fig. 7, the shell A beingopen at the bottom and the raised or projecting cover A applied andsecured, the receptacle will be inverted and packed or filled throughthe bottom, the first layer projecting beyond the rim (the distancebeing determined by the depth of the projecting cover) and being sizedand faced in the usual manner, after which the succeeding layers areintroduced until the package or receptacle is full,when the bottom isinserted and seen red. In the case of crating the individal packages,preferably in tiers, the crate is inverted and against the cover thereof(for the time being the bottom of the crate) afacing-strip a, preferablyabout one-half inch square in crosssection, is applied on opposite sidesof the crate to afford a rest or support for the opposite edges or rimsof the individual receptacles, so that the said rims of the receptaclesare distant one-half (1%) inch, more or less, from the cover-slats ofthe crate. The said receptacles will when so placed within the crate bedevoid of bottom, as hereinbefore noted, and the fruit will then beintroduced through the bottom of each receptacle and faced against thecover or slats of the crate, succeeding rows being added until thereceptacles are full, after which the bottoms of the individualreceptacles will be applied and secured, as hereinbefore pointed out.For a second row or tier (see Figs. 1 and 2) a second series offacing-strips ct are applied against the bot tom edges of the first rowof receptacles. If, however, the receptacles are tapering, (as in thecase of grape-baskets,) somewhat wider quarter (i) inch strips a may beapplied longitudinally of the crate and, if desired, may be secured tothe facing-strips a, (see Fig. 6,) after which the second row or tier ofbottomless shells may be arranged within the crate, the fruit faced andpacked therein, the bottoms of the individual receptacles inserted andsecured as before, and when the last tier of receptacles has been addedthe crate may be closed by means of the usual slat bottom or in anyother suitable manner.

It will be noted that the same principle is applied in the packing,whether it be the individual package or the crated or multiple packagewhich is involved-that is to say, a projecting cover is provided againstwhich the fruit is faced by packing in reverse or through the bottom ofthe package.

The ad vantages derived are the uniformity settling or displacemement ofthe fruit in transportation can be guarded against, and as a consequencebruising or derangement of the fruit will be avoided and the fruit willnot only present a better appearance,but will be in better conditionwhen marketed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The method herein described for facing and packing fruits for marketwhich consists in applying to an open-bottomed receptacle a cover whichprojects beyond the rim of said receptacle so as to form a fruit-spaceabove said rim, inverting said receptacle, introducing the fruit throughthe open bot-tom thereof until the receptacle is filled, and finallyapplying and securing the bottom of the receptacle; substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

2. In a multiple-receptacle fruit-package, the combination with a crate,of a series of individual receptacles, and facing-strips interposedbetween the rims of the receptacles and the cover of the crate andcommon to all the receptacles; substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

3. In a multiple-receptacle fruit-package, the combination with a crate,of a plurality of tiers of individual receptacles, and a series offacing-strips interposed between the cover of the crate and the rims ofthe upper tier of receptacles, and between the rims of the receptaclesof succeeding tiers and the bottoms of the receptacles of thesiiperposed adjacent tiers said facing-strips being common to all thereceptacles of the respective tiers; substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 17th day of February, 1899.

ARCHIE M. AUGUSTINE.

Witnesses:

ALEX KEADY, O. A. GAPEN.

with which the fruit can be faced and all It is hereby certified that inLetters Patent No. 637,844, granted November 28, 1899,

upon the application of Archie M. Augustine, of Normal, Illinois, for animprovement in Fruit-Packages and Methods of Packing Fruits forShipment, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection, as follows: In line 75, page 1, the

Word passage should read package and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with this correction therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 5th day of December, A. D., 1899.

[SEAL] \VEBSTER DAVIS,

Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned C. H. DUELL,

Commissioner of Patents.

